T: A smooth creamy chocolate to start. Then a roasted espresso bitterness takes over. Goes downhill from there. Don't know how to describe it, maybe a metallic sourness, or maybe what I would expect glass to taste like. Very acidic going down.

M: A little thin for a porter. No creaminess. Very acidic.

O: Wow. Great looking beer. Top notch aroma. And total utter disappointment after that. There is no bottling date, so I don't know if this is out dated or what. I don't think I've ever had a "skunked beer", or whatever you'd call it, so I can't really say. I love Porters, definitely do not love this one. (910 characters)

Who knew the little south end equivalent of a convenience store would have good prices on some beers that I had never had. Impressive. Anyway, this one was one of the ones I picked up.

Decent cola body, but no head. The nose is sweet with some malts, with the taste following suit. It's a somewhat thin, but goes down smoothe. There's some plum/fig/dark fruit in there, and a minimal bittering on the end. It's not bad, it's just not outstanding, which relegates it to 'meh' status in the midst of my current splurging for the short time I am somewhere with a little variety, and thus discovering some amazing brews. (618 characters)

Taste displays much of the same as the coffee/chocolate interplay is nicely done. Fair amount of hoppy bitterness on the finish and the yeastiness gives of a lightly tart fruity twinge...in a good way. Pretty viscous for not really being all that sweet. Not bad, not bad...above average porter that has a little something that reminds me of black butte. (579 characters)

Quite lovely appearance with a creamy tall head on the black brew in the narrow tulip. Plenty of carbonation on the tongue, and a big mouthful of flavor.

Dark roasted malt with some burnt flavors. Some dark caramel and a long deep dark flavor with just a touch of the malty sweetness. A little of the odd rye sort of flavor-- faintly sourish and grainy. The bitter finish brings a little hop flavor to the scorched bitterness of the grains.

The deep winey sensation with the sudsy mouthfeel makes for a very drinkable and smooth quaff. From the 22 oz bottle bought at the Flyers brewpub in Oak Harbor. (604 characters)

Served in an Imperial pint glass. Poured an opaque black, with just a bit of light coming through. Poured with over an inch of full, dark tan head that had good retention and left minimal lacing.

The rich, malty aroma reaches the nose first, and smells like a porter should, just fuller. The flavors are also as expected, with the smooth roasted tastes most prevalent, and a slight smokey taste on the finish.

The body was full, rich and smooth. Drinkability was also smooth and easy, having several wouldn't be an issue. A very well done example of the style, worth seeking out. (581 characters)

Thanks to Dave for the bomber. This porter opens with a big dark chocolate (lighter, like 35% cacao) character with a dry citrus pepper finish. As it warms, the hops build for sort of a chocolate orange rind character. This is an interesting porter, and that's tough to find. Give this a try. (292 characters)

I get sooo tired of hearing about how this or that beer won an award at some big brewing shindig. And then I drink a beer like this and realize that some beers deserve glowing accolades. Pacemaker has variously won gold and silver at NABA, GABF, and the WBC. But the good news is that it's an excellent beer on tap at Flyers brewpub. And that's as it should be.

Pacemaker has bold contours, abundant flavor, and a skillful composition of brown malt sweetness and overt roastiness. It is the customary shade of brown with mild lather and shares a similar fragrance corresponding to its flavor. The beer's capacity to express flavor would seem to know no bounds. Everything is brilliant, bold, and beautiful. It's exactly what a porter should be. (746 characters)